Editorial: It's time to end lunch giveaway clash amicably

Delaware County municipalities like Chester Township face a growing list of problems.

Angela Prattis should not be one of them.

While they struggle to preserve their eroding tax bases, fight to preserve quality-of-life issues, and engage in a daily battle to keep their streets safe, Delco towns need to pick their battles carefully.

It appears in this instance Chester Township has decided to pick a fight with Prattis needlessly.

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For several years, Prattis, a married mother of three and youth director of her church, has been taking part in a program with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to distribute free lunches to underprivileged children. She happens to do it from her home. She gives out prepackaged meals to about 60 local children. She is a trained volunteer in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Nutritional Development Services program.

It wasn't a problem, until someone decided to make it one. A complaint to the township commissioners led to the discovery that Prattis did not have the needed zoning variance to run such an operation from her home.

So in the true spirit of no good deed going unpunished, the township commissioners initially played hard ball with Prattis, saying she could be subject to a $600-a-day fine.

Technically, the township probably has a point. But they easily could have gone about working quietly with Prattis to bring her into compliance with township zoning laws.

Instead what they got was a public relations nightmare.

After Prattis' saga first ran in this newspaper, every media outlet in the region beat a path to her door to tell her story.

How far has the story circulated? It was mentioned on the website of England's Daily Mail.

While the township has softened the tone of its arguments, saying it is not interested in shutting her down before the program ends on Aug. 24 and likely will not slap her with any fines, it is sticking to its guns on her need to comply with township zoning laws.

It also have offered her several alternative locations to operate from in her charitable endeavors.

As you can imagine, it's not been a terribly popular position.

The story has sparked a huge spike in public support for Prattis.

Pledges for donations have soared well over the $1,000 cost of the zoning hearing.

A Philadelphia attorney who specializes in zoning issues has offered to help her through the process.

A woman in Sierra Vista, Ariz., has set up a Facebook page called "Support Angela Prattis Lunch Program."

Yesterday another group was at Prattis' township home with more donations, including toys for the kids.

We'll stipulate that the township is very likely within its rights to enforce its zoning ordinances.

But it can't regulate public opinion. And in this instance it is taking an unnecessary beating.

It's likely Prattis will sit down with township officials and discuss the situation. We'll urge both sides to work out an amicable agreement. Now there is talk that Prattis might even run for a seat on the board of commissioners. Such is the hornet's nest that the township's stand has unleashed.

Prattis is providing a needed service that helps underprivileged kids. Sure, she could be doing it somewhere else - in fact she used to do it from the church - but after having a baby this year, she found it more convenient to run the program from her front yard.

She wants to be there again with the program next summer.

We wish her success.

In the great lunch giveaway battle, it appears maybe Chester Township may have bitten off more than it can chew.